Due to lack of the practical technique to measure the biomechanical properties of the ocular cornea in vivo, clinical ophthalmologists have some difficulties in understanding the deformation mechanism of the cornea under the action of physiological intraocular pressures. Using Young's theory analysis of the corneal deformation during applanation tonometry, the relation between the elasticity moduli of the cornea and the applanated corneal area and the measured and true intraocular pressures can be obtained. A new applanation technique has been developed for measuring the biomechanical properties of the ocular cornea tissue in vivo, which can simultaneously acquire the data of the applanation area and displacement of the corneal deformation as well as the exerted applanation force on the cornea. Experimental results on a rabbit's eyeball demonstrated that the present technique could be used to measure the elasticity moduli and creep properties of the ocular cornea nondestructively in vivo.
Animals ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Cornea ; Elastic Modulus ; Intraocular Pressure ; Muscles ; Rabbits ; Tonometry, Ocular

Objective To study the analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects in vivo of the total alkaloids in Stephania kwangsiensis (TARS).Methods Mice were respectively ig with high,middle,and low doses of TARS.The analgesic effects of TARS were evaluated by the formaldehyde induced pain method and tail-immersion response induced by hot water in mice,and anti-inflammatory effects were observed by cotton ball granuloma,egg white induced paw swelling method in mice.Results TARS could significantly inhibit formaldehyde induced pain in mice,reduce the hind licking times,extend tail withdrawal time induced by hot water,obviously reduced the formation of granulomatous in mice;Inhibited egg white induced paw swelling.Conclusion TARS has significant analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect.

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the results of re-operation of thyroidectomy for patients of thyroid carcinoma.

METHODS268 patients of thyroid carcinoma received completion thyroidectomy were retrospectively reviewed from 1984 to 2000. There were 59 males and 209 female cases. 256 cases had received nodule enucleating or partial thyroidectomy in other hospitals and 12 cases had unilateral subtotal thyroidectomy in this hospital. The types of reoperation were: Total thyroidectomy for bilateral thyroid carcinoma (6 cases); expand isthmectomy for isthmus carcinoma (1 case). Lobectomy plus isthmectomy for unilateral disease (261) Simultaneous neck dissections were performed in 196 cases. Among them, 94 cases had classical neck dissection, 102 cases had modified neck dissection.

RESULTSPathological results confirmed that there were 78 cases with residual thyroid carcinoma. The rate of residual carcinoma was 29. 1% (78/268). There were 95 cases with lymphnode metastasis. The rate of lymphnode metastasis was 48.5% (95/196). The rate of recurrent laryngeal nerve injury was 1.1% (3/268). The 5-year and 10-year survival rates of patients were 94. 0% (251/267) and 85. 2% (127/149) respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe residual carcinoma of completing thyroidectomy was high. Therefore re-operations of thyroid in selected cases were necessary.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Reoperation ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; surgery ; Thyroidectomy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo explore the characters of the cervical lymph node metastasis in differentiated thyroid carcinoma, and to provide evidence for proper surgery of differentiated thyroid carcinoma.

METHODSFrom 1984 to 2000, 99 cases with differentiated thyroid carcinoma were performed thyroidectomy and neck dissection. The patients were followed up. A retrospective analysis was performed. Results In 99 cases with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, there were 61 papillary carcinoma, 13 papillary and follicular mixed carcinoma, 25 follicular carcinoma. According to 2002 UICC TNM classification, 60 cases were staged I, 1 case staged II, 5 cases staged III, 33 cases staged IV. Lobectomy and isthmectomy was performed in 80 cases, lobectomy was resected and opposite subtotal lobectomy in 15 cases, total thyroidectomy in 4 cases. One hundred and four neck dissection were performed in 99 cases (5 cases were bilateral neck dissection ). Among them, 66 (68 sides) were radical neck dissection, 33 (36 sides) were modified neck dissection. Pathological results showed that lymph nodes were positive in 86 sides of 83 cases. The rate of cervical lymph node metastasis was 83.8% (83/99). The positive rates of lymph node were 37.5% (39/104) in level VI and 76.9% (80/104) in II-V, which was statistically different (chi2 = 33.01, P < 0.01). The cervical lymph node metastasis in lateral area (level II-V) and that in VI had not relationship (chi2 = 2.08, P > 0.05). Ten and 15 year survival rates of all 99 cases were 88.3% and 84.5% respectively.

CONCLUSIONSThe occurrence of lymph node metastasis in level VI and level II was different and no relationship .One can not judge whether lateral neck metastasis by the lymph node statue in level VI only . Although they all had good prognosis, patients with positive nodes in level VI were not worse than that in lateral neck (II-V).

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; pathology ; Cell Differentiation ; Child ; Female ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; pathology ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neck ; Neck Dissection ; Neoplasm Staging ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; pathology ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo study the clinical features, diagnosis and therapy of thyroid neoplasm in children.

METHODSA retrospective study was performed on 32 children with thyroid nodular who were underwent operation in Xiangya Hospital between January 2002 and December 2010.

RESULTSOf the 32 cases, there were 23 girls and 9 boys. Six cases were diagnosed as nodular Goiter adenoma and 26 cases were diagnosed as thyroid papillary carcinoma. B-ultrasonic examination showed a 100% accurate rate for the diagnosis of thyroid carcinoma. Fourteen children (44%) were proven to have concurrent Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Twenty-two (69%) children with thyroid carcinoma were found to have lymph metastasis in the lateral neck. The children younger than 10 years showed a high rate of metastasis than those older one (94% vs 56%, P<0.05). All 32 children received a surgical therapy. Subtotal thyroidectomy was performed on the 6 children with nodular Goiter adenoma. Total thyroidectomy (17 cases) or ipsilateral thyroidectomy (9 cases) was performed according to the stage of thyroid carcinoma. The surgical outcomes were followed up for 3 months to 9 years and no recurrence or death occurred. The development and growth were normal in the children.

CONCLUSIONSChildhood thyroid nodular attacks girls more than boys, and the frequency of malignancy is high. Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a common concurrent disease. The incidence of local lymph metastasis is high in those younger than 10 years. The surgical therapy for thyroid neoplasm may lead satisfactory outcomes in children.

Adolescent ; Child ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Male ; Retrospective Studies ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo isolate and identify Streptococcus mutans (Sm) and Streptococcus sobrinus (Ss) in dental plaque of children with high dmft and no caries by selective medium, biochemical methods and arbitrarily primed-polymerase chain reaction (AP-PCR).

METHODSA total of 401 3-4-year-old children from seven kindergartens were recruited using cluster sampling and their dental caries status were examined. From 30% of children with the highest dmft score (dmft >/= 5), 20 children were chosen randomly as test group and 20 age and gender-matched caries-free children were selected as control. Plaque samples were collected from buccal surfaces of the molars and plated onto TYCSB plate. Sm and Ss were primarily identified by colony morphology and biochemical characteristics. Then chromosomal DNA of the strains was isolated and Sm or Ss were confirmed by AP-PCR.

RESULTSThe proportion positive for Sm and Ss in children with high dmft was 100% and 40% respectively while that in caries-free children was 75% and 5% by AP-PCR analysis. The differences were statistically significant between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONSThe proportions positive for Sm and Ss detected by AP-PCR method were significantly higher in children with high dmft than in caries-free children and it is a risk factor for high dmft in deciduous teeth harboring Sm and Ss.

Child, Preschool ; Dental Caries ; microbiology ; Dental Plaque ; microbiology ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Streptococcus mutans ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Streptococcus sobrinus ; genetics ; isolation & purification

Objective To study the effect of the petroleum ether fraction of ethanol extracts of Polyrhachisvicina Roger with antigout activity on liver microsomal cytochrome P450 in rats.Methods Healthy male SD rats were randomly divided into six groups (3 rats of each group):three groups of the petroleum ether fraction of ethanol extracts of Polyrhachisvi-cina Roger ( test groups, the low dose group, the middle dose group and the high dose group with equivalent to 1, 2, 4 g? kg -1, respectively), two positive control groups and one blank control group.The rats in the low dose, the middle dose and the high dose test groups were adminis-tered daily by gavage at corresponding dose of the petroleum ether frac-tion of ethanol extracts of Polyrhachisvicina Roger for 10 consecutive days.The rats in positive control groups were treated by dexamethasone ( 100 mg? kg-1? d-1 , ip, daily for 4 days ) or phenobarbital ( 80 mg? kg-1? d-1 , ip, daily for 3 days ) .Blank control rats received equivalent volume of sterile normal saline daily by gavage for 10 consecu-tive days.The levels of CYP450 activity, mRNA, protein in rat liver mi-crosome were analyzed by LC/MS/MS or RP-HPLC-FLD, RT-PCR, Western blot, respectively.Results CYP1A2 activity, protein expression and mRNA levels were increased signifi-cantly in a dose-dependent manner with the petroleum ether fraction of ethanol extracts of Polyrhachisvicina Roger at low, middle and high dose, respectively.Conclusion The petroleum ether fraction of ethanol extracts of Polyrhachis-vicina Roger can induce CYP1A2 in rats, suggesting the potential of drug-drug interactions between the petroleum ether fraction of ethanol extracts of Polyrhachisvicina Roger and the inducers, inhibitors, or substrates of CYP1A2.

Objective To explore the expression of P -glycoprotein ( P-gp) in rat liver during acute inflammation ( AI ) and the possible mechanism involved.Methods Twenty rats were randomly divided into two groups:model group (n=10) and control group (n=10).The rats in model group were treated by a single 5 mg? kg -1 intraperitoneal injec-tion of lipopolysaccharide ( LPS).Control rats received equivalent injec-tion of sterile normal saline.The levels of P-gp, ubiquitinated P-gp and 26 S proteasome activity in both groups were analyzed by Western blot, immunoprecipitation and fluorescence detection, respectively. Results Compared to the control groups, ubiquitination levels of liver P-gp and 26S proteasome activity in model groups were significantly in-creased ( P<0.01 ) , accompanied by an decrease of liver P-gp protein expression level. Conclusion The participation of the ubiquitin -proteasome system in down-regulation of liver P-gp expression levels under AI conditions.

BACKGROUNDThis study researched the electric impedance properties of breast tissue and demonstrated the different characteristic of electrical impedance scanning (EIS) images.

METHODSThe impedance character of 40 malignant tumors, 34 benign tumors and some normal breast tissue from 69 patients undergoing breast surgery was examined by EIS in vivo measurement and mammography screening, with a series of frequencies set between 100 Hz - 100 kHz in the ex vivo spectroscopy measurement.

RESULTSOf the 39 patients with 40 malignant tumors, 24 showed bright spots, 11 showed dark areas in EIS and 5 showed no specific image. Of the 30 patients with 34 benign tumors there were almost no specific abnormality shown in the EIS results. Primary ex vivo spectroscopy experiments showed that the resistivity of various breast tissue take the following pattern: adipose tissue > cancerous tissue > mammary gland and benign tumor tissue.

CONCLUSIONSThere are significant differences in the electrical impedance properties between cancerous tissue and healthy tissue. The impedivity of benign tumor is lower, and is at the same level with that of the mammary glandular tissue. The distinct growth pattern of breast lesions determined the different electrical impedance characteristics in the EIS results.

Breast Neoplasms ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Electric Impedance ; Female ; Humans ; Mammography

[Objective]To investigate the effect of GRACE scores on prediction of 30-day cardiovascular adverse events in acute chest pain patients.[Methods]A prospective,observational analysis was conducted in the patients with acute chest pain in Emergency Department(ED)from January 1,2016 through April 1,2016.Data including characteris-tics and GRACE scores were collected.All causes leading to MACE were followed up at 30th day after the onset of acute chest pain.[Results]Among a total of 209 patients presenting with acute chest pain enrolled in this study,110 were male (52.63%)and 99 were female(47.37%).The range of age was 20-98years old,and mean age was(65.28±16.85)years old.During follow-up period,12 patients had MACE,2 patients died in ED,3 patients died in hospital,6 patients died out of hospital,and 1 person was diagnosed with myocardial infarction. When compared with non-MACE group,factors including age,BMI,hospitalized patient number,and number of patients admitted in CCU as well as GRACE scores, were significantly higher in MACE group(P<0.05). The predictive ROC curve area of GRACE scores in 30-day MACE was 0.819(0.735 to 0.902). The optimal sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 and 0.65,respectively. The probability of 30-day cardiovascular adverse events in various GRACE score risk stratification was 0.95%(low-risk),6.67%(medi-um-risk),and 18.92%(high-risk),respectively.[Conclusion]The GRACE score was a useful predictor to the occur-rence of 30-day cardiovascular adverse events in acute chest pain patients.